Evaluación de la energía contenida, emisiones de co2 y material particulado en la fabricación del ladrillo semi-mecanizado tochano en Cuenca, a través del análisis de ciclo de vida (ACV).

Abstract

The main causes of the environmental impact from construction is found in the consumption of non-renewable resources and the generation of pollutant residues. This research evaluates the environmental impacts generated to the air from the production of the tochano semi-mechanized bricks in the city of Cuenca - Ecuador through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a methodology regulated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The objective is to determine the energy contained, the CO2 and the particulate matter emissions generated inside the limits of the factory, that is from “gate to gate”, considering the indirect transport of raw materials. As a result, it was obtained that for every brick 9.33 Mj are consumed and 1.041 kg of CO2 are emitted. The factory selected is part of the program Energy Efficiency in the Handcrafted Brickworks (EELA), implemented in the city of Cuenca. This allowed the design of criteria for the implementation of improvements in the various unitary process in the brick manufacturing sector, helping to mitigate the pollution produced due to this activity.